The Four Knights Journey
by Heartless-and-Soulless
Summary: Kinda of a "what-if" scenario. Ornstein discovers that Gwyndolin is making an illusion out of Anor Londo and vows to stop him. His decision will throw Lordran in the middle of a turmoil.


Ornstein couldn't believe in the horrifying thing he was hearing from Gwyndolin, known in Anor Londo as the "Dark Sun".

Some moments before, he was rounding his knights once more, and telling them to beware anyone who weren't stationed in their posts, regardless of the armor.

"As I was saying, many knights from the Elite of Astora may come this way. Orders from his highness Gwyndolin states that **ABSOLUTELY NO ONE** must be allowed to reach the princess. Beware especially from the people of Carim and Berenike. The people of Carim tends to do their battles with deceit and cowardice, and any knight from Berenike would be a match even to the Executioner himself. The knights from Astora are valiant, but won't be that much of a problem for the Silver Knights of Gwyn. Now, back to your posts!"

He turned to two of each of his spearmen, archers and giant guards before saying:

"I know you must be infuriated to be working alongside demons, but it's his highness orders. We have to endure only until the king is back from his pilgrimage to the Kiln. Then everything will be alright. Now go."

His knights saluted him, but left without saying a word. This was driving Ornstein crazy. Something about them just felt... Wrong. It's not like they were a group of gossiping laddies, but they HAD a strong friendship. Suddenly, 25 years ago, it became like this, when he were out of Anor Londo, visiting her, the only one who could make him happy in the grimmest of moments. Completely out of nowhere, Gwyndolin declared a silence vow to all the knights, except those of high rank, who needed to issue orders every now and then. Being a soldier for what seemed forever, living a very disciplined life, Ornstein did found Gwyndolin's actions at the very least, suspicious, but didn't questioned them. Orders were orders, and as a soldier it was his duty to obey. To make it worse, Gwyndolin ordered that he were not to leave Anor Londo until further notice. He tried to contest this order, but the Dark Sun was adamant: He needed the last of the four knights there.

He just stood there, pondering all of this. Should he question Gwyndolin? His majesty Gwyn was gone for a long time now. Those demonic monsters were everywhere now in Anor Londo. "Demons of all things... Gwyn forgive us..." thought the Dragon Slayer, feeling like an abomination. "He even put that bastard to be my right hand man... He may have good fighting abilities, but he has no honor. He doesn't understand what it means to be a knight, the responsibilities behind it... And to make matters worse, what he does to his fallen enemies is just..."

His intuition was telling him to put an end to that farce. Immediately. His duty, on the other hand...

Remembering this wasn't doing him any good. Day after day he was becoming more and more frustrated by everything piling together: the lack of news about the king, the silence of his knights and dealing his new "subordinate", Smough, The Executioner.

At the same time that Gwyndolin informed him about the (imposed) silence vow, he declared that the captain of the "Four" was assigned to protect the princess of Sunlight, Gwynevere. This is what enraged him the most. He was the captain of Gwyn's Four, the Dragonslayer, not some babysitter. He should be on the vanguard with his men, not hiding behind them. Everything felt wrong in Anor Londo. Ever since he came back even the sunlight felt wrong, colder. As soon as he dispatched the knights, Gwyndolin appeared, coming down by the automatic elevator. He was visibly tired, his clothes were dirty and tattered. He also seemed to be moving with difficulty. When Gwyndolin saw the Dragon Slayer, he started to laugh, that sickening sound echoing in the cathedral.

"Is there something wrong... -asked Ornstein, intentionally delaying the last words- ...my lord?"

"You still... -said Gwyndolin, trying to catch his breath- Try to talk to those worthless puppets?"

"With all due respect... **SIR**... I don't want your highness talking about my trusted soldiers... **LIKE THEY'RE NOTHING MORE THAN WORTHLESS THINGS TO YOU!** " -said the Dragonslayer, his voice roaring through the cathedral.

"You hopeless bufoon! I can't believe you still haven't noticed!"

"What... Are you talking about?"

"YOUR SOLDIERS, YOU POMPOUS IDIOT!"

Ornstein controlled his sudden burst of fury. Perhaps the pressions of reigning above Anor Londo were finally taking it's toll.

"Is there something wrong... With my soldiers... Lord Gwyndolin?" -said Ornstein, still doing his better to control his destructive side.

"It does not surprise me" -said Gwyndolin, ignoring him-. "Now that I think about it, you were not the sharpest of the Four... Not as stupid as Gough though."

"Even if you are the master of Anor Londo in the place of Lord Gwyn, that does not give you the right to mock the Four-"

"Do you think I care about the Four?" -said the Dark Sun, interrupting him abruptly- "Now that the great moment is closer than ever..."

Hearing this, Ornstein felt hope for the first time in a long time. Could it be?

"Lord Gwyn's return? Is that the moment you're talking about?"

In response, he only heard the even louder maniacal laugh of Gwyndolin.

"What in Lost Izalith's name is so funny?"

Finally answering, with a tired voice, Gwyndolin said:

"The king... My father, is not coming back, Dragon Slayer."

"What are you talking about? You said..."

"...that he was on a pilgrimage, yes, I remember. But he didn't went there to pray, recover his energies or whatever load of bollocks I told you."

"Then..."

"The Age of Fire is dying, Dragonslayer. My father figured that the only way to keep it alive was to go to the Kiln of the First Flame and lit the Primordial Flame... Using himself and his Lord Soul as a... fuel."

"WHAT? WHY DID YOU THOUGHT THAT WE, THE KNIGHTS OF GWYN, WHO REMAINED HERE FAITHFULLY AT ANOR LONDO, DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW THAT? WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD US?"

"Ornstein," -Gwyndolin replied in a soft, friendly tone- "it was something necessary, you would try to stop him from doing it..."

"You... YOU MUST THINK I'M A FOOL, DARK SUN GWYNDOLIN! YOU THINK I WON'T SEE THROUGH YOUR LIES, NO MATTER WHAT? YOU DIDN'T LET YOU OWN FATHER GO BECAUSE OF ANY 'NECESSARY EVIL' OR ANYTHING! I CAN SEE IN YOUR EYES, WHO SHOW FEAR, NOW THAT I DISCOVERED YOUR SECRET, THAT YOU LET YOUR OWN FATHER GO AND BURN FOR DECADES BECAUSE YOU WANTED HIS POWER, HIS STATUS AS THE KING OF ANOR LONDO!"

"So what if it was? I didn't even suggested this to him! He did it by himself! He GAVE ME ANOR LONDO! He keeped the Age of Fire alive and I got Anor Londo!"

"That's little different from treason, you greedy, unworthy scum! I'll see you locked up and stripped from your deity powers and status!"

Laughing, with the scorn painfully clear in it, Gwyndolin said, defiant:

"You challenge the Dark Sun? You and what army?"

Ornstein took a step backwards and raised his hand like he was reaching for something. Lightning crackled through the air, and concentrated at his hand, summoning his powerful Dragonslayer Spear through the eletric particles.

"Even if we aren't as numerous as before, we, me and my squad of the Gwyn's Silver Knights are more than enough to subdue you!"

Surprisingly, the threat only made the insane god laugh even more.

"Your beloved soldiers, Dragon Slayer, are nothing more than illusions! Images created by me, to keep you on your leash!"

"You... you are... lying..."

"Am I now? Why don't you try to call your "loyal knights" then? I'm sure you found the 'vow of silence'"-said the traitor, smirking- "at least, odd."

"The bastard is saying the truth" thought Ornstein, feeling the hope from before leaving him and giving place for a deep pain in his heart. His lord and friend, Gwyn, was suffering for years now. Burning alive, to keep the light they had to fight so hard to give the world, shine for a little bit longer. The pain soon merged itself with grief. "Everything..." thought him, deep in a sudden sadness, "... everything is a lie..."

But suddenly, he remembered, the only truth that still standed, the one that kept him from going mad, the one he made a certain promise to, before and after she was born. And again, he let himself feel hope. For her, he would commit betrayal for the first time in his life. For her, he would try and change the world.

His strenght renewed, he stood proud, and finally voiced his challenge to the traitorous Dark Sun:

"Gwyndolin of the Dark Sun! I hereby accuse you of treason against Gwyn, Anor Londo and it's people! You are to surrender, be incarcerated and wait for trial! Should you be found guilty, the most fitting sentence will be the loss of your powers, titles and status as a deity. What do you have to say in your defense?"

"Hopeless fool... I was going to keep your status as the Captain of the Knights in the new regime, but now you've made me mad! Your little soldiers may be only puppets, but Smough is real and, unlike you, loyal to me. EXECUTIONER!"

Heavy steps made the Cathedral shake, then the Executioner himself jumped from the balcony, his arrival like an earthquake. Wearing his armor and carrying his weapon, the Executioner was an impressive sight.

The armor was gold in color, and looked like a very overweighted man, with a small head, in comparison with the body. His weapon was a ridiculously huge hammer that looked like a drum and were also gold colored, which the Executioner carried with relative ease.

"You called, boss?" -asked Smough, with his deep voice, further muffled by the helmet.

"Yes, Executioner. I offer you the post of Captain of Gwyn's knights! All you have to do is kill your former superior... Ornstein!"

"HAH! I never liked this maggot anyways! He and his friends looking at me with superiority and disgust stamped in their faces! Now it's time for some payback! Prepare to die, Ornstein!"


End file.
